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DA call for dedicated professional centres for KZN rape victims

AS the country marks 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal calls for the establishment of dedicated rape centres, to which victims of this horrific crime can turn for professional help.

Our call is aimed at the province’s MEC’s for Health, Social Development and Community Safety who, collectively, can make this a reality.

It comes after three different media reports in the past 48 hours, all involving the rape of young girls – one at the child’s home in Inchanga, another within the walls of Greytown Hospital and yet another in the suburb of Phoenix.

According to the parents of the Phoenix child, their young daughter did not receive proper medical attention despite taking her to two different hospitals. This incident again highlights the KZN health department’s lack of capability to deal with rape victims in their time of need.

The incidence of rape is out of control in KZN, primarily as a result of little consequence for perpetrators due to insufficient medical-legal facilities in the province. This is supported by the low conviction rate.

The issue of rape must be dealt with holistically in KZN – it is beyond being only a health issue.

The DA calls on these MEC’s to work together in the interests of KZN’s rape victims.